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Relationship between phosphate stress, effluent quality, and observed cell yield in a pure‐oxygen activated‐sludge plant
Author(s) -
Verstraete W.,
Vissers W.
Publication year - 1980
Publication title -
biotechnology and bioengineering
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.136
H-Index - 189
eISSN - 1097-0290
pISSN - 0006-3592
DOI - 10.1002/bit.260221208
Subject(s) - effluent , activated sludge , phosphate , wastewater , chemistry , yield (engineering) , pulp and paper industry , settling , sewage treatment , oxygen , waste management , environmental engineering , environmental science , materials science , biochemistry , organic chemistry , metallurgy , engineering
The effect of continuous and discontinuous phosphate stress on the observed cell yield coefficient was investigated in a petrochemical pure‐oxygen wastewater treatment plant. A continuous phosphate stress in the activated‐sludge system resulted in a reduction of sludge production by 36%, but no improvement of the effluent quality was noticed compared with that of nonstress treatment. However, discontinuous phosphate stress produced a high‐quality effluent due to the excellent setting settling properties of the sludge flocs. In addition, the observed cell yield coefficient and concomitantly the sludge production remained 45% below normal. The introduction of the discontinuous phosphate stress in the pure‐oxygen activated‐sludge plant at the BP Chemicals works in Antwerp resulted in a 24% reduction of the total wastewater treatment operating costs.